Natalia Kapitonova
N
atalia Kapitonova is a seasoned litigator licensed in New York and New Jersey, with a significant and active practice in both jurisdictions. She serves as Head of the New Jersey Practice at Stewart Karlin Law Group, P.C., while also maintaining a substantial New York litigation practice, where she regularly represents clients in complex, contested matters before state, federal, and appellate courts.
Ms. Kapitonova’s practice is distinctly litigation-driven, with a strong focus on Employment Law, as well as Education, Insurance, Commercial, and ERISA Pension & Benefits litigation. She is routinely retained to handle high-stakes disputes from initial proceedings through appellate review, and she has extensive experience litigating cases at every level of the judicial system, including state trial courts, federal courts, state appellate courts, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
A core pillar of Ms. Kapitonova’s practice is Employment Law litigation, where she represents employees, professionals, and executives in complex disputes involving discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and contractual and statutory employment rights. She also has deep experience litigating Insurance coverage and benefits disputes, frequently taking on institutional defendants and insurers in highly contested matters.
Ms. Kapitonova is particularly well known for her ERISA Pension & Benefits litigation practice, where she aggressively challenges wrongful denials, terminations, and underpayments of benefits and has successfully secured benefits for clients through litigation and appeals at the state and federal levels.
In addition, Ms. Kapitonova maintains a robust Education Law practice. She represents teachers and education professionals in disciplinary proceedings, employment-related actions, and administrative and judicial appeals. She also actively litigates special education matters, advocating on behalf of students with disabilities and their families to enforce their rights under federal and state law. Her education-law practice further includes representing professional and graduate students in complex academic disputes and appeals involving medical schools, law schools, and other professional programs, often where issues of disability, due process, and discrimination intersect.
Due to her experience and professionalism, Ms. Kapitonova has been recognized by her peers and professional organizations. She has been awarded the Lawyers of Distinction Award, recognizing her excellence in Employment and Insurance Law in the United States. In addition, Ms. Kapitonova was selected as the winner of the Peru To The World Expo Award for excellence in the legal profession in North America by the International Committee of Peru To The World Expo and was honored with the Professional of the Year Award and Medal of Excellence presented by United States Senator Robert Menendez.
Admissions and Education
- Bar Admissions
- New York (2013)
- New Jersey (2013)
- Court Admissions
- US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- US District Court for the Southern District of New York
- US District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- US District Court for the Northern District of New York
- US District Court for the District of New Jersey
- Education
- New York Law School, ’12
- Dean’s Honors List
- Daniel Finkelstein Graduation Award
- Public Service Award
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice, ’08
- Dr. Herbert Earlanger Graduation Award
- BA in Government (Minors: History, Law, Art)
- New York Law School, ’12
- Languages Spoken
- Spanish
- Russian
National and International Awards
- Professional of the Year Award + Medal of Excellence (Legal Profession)
- Professional of the Year Award + Medal of Excellence (Legal Profession)
- Lawyers of Distinction Award
- Recognizing excellence in employment and insurance law in the United States
- John Jay College Cum Laude Graduate
- Awarded by John Jay College for outstanding academic achievement
- Daniel Finkelstein Writing Award (Law School Graduate Award)
Awarded by New York Law School & Ferrara and Newman LLP – Class of 2012- Best Paper in Real Estate Law, for the winning article: “Landlord’s Remedies upon Tenant’s default in the REBNY Standard Commercial lease form”
- Public Service Award (Law School Graduation Award)
Awarded by New York Law School – Commitment to Public Service Law
- Herbert Erlanger Wellness Award (College Graduation Award)
Awarded by John Jay College of Criminal Justice – Student Athlete with highest GPA who had demonstrated high degree of sportsmanship, wellness within her lifestyle, outstanding individual sports achievements and a commitment to public service
- United Nations Award
Awarded by the United Nations. International Political Science competition winner
- John Jay College Talent Search Award
- Awarded by John Jay College Talent Search program for being an outstanding teacher
- Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee for Swimming (2025)
- Awarded at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan
- CUNY Swimmer of the Year Award
- Best swimmer in the City University of New York (all colleges)
- Black Belt (1st Dan) in Taekwondo
- Awarded by Kukkiwon – World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea (2025)
- John Jay College Athlete of the Year Award
- Best Athlete in John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- Peruvian National Federation of Swimming (FPN-FINA)
Member of the Peruvian National Swimming Team, Division I. Represented the country of Peru in FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) International Swimming Tournaments
- Peruvian National Federation of Swimming (FPN-FINA)
National Swimming record holder – 100 mts Individual Medley (Absolute). Held until year 1999, recognized by FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation)
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